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Species Balance · First Initiative 2026
Taking care of the territory
is a collective act
Results from our first sterilization initiative in Palomino, La Guajira.
The Mendihuaca bridge, damaged by heavy rains before the initiative.
The story
We arrived even though the road wouldn't allow it
On March 5 and 6, 2026, a team of two veterinarians and three assistants traveled from Bogotá to Palomino with a suitcase full of surgical supplies, medications, and materials to set up a field operating room. The goal: to conduct a free sterilization event for dogs and cats in the municipality.
What they didn't know was that the Mendihuaca bridge—the only way across—had collapsed days earlier due to heavy rains. The team had to cross on foot, carrying all their equipment with them, so as not to cancel the initiative that dozens of families were already waiting for.
Once in the field, the challenge wasn't over. Palomino is an area where people's connection to their animals exists, but access to veterinary services is nearly nonexistent. Convincing some families to sterilize their pets required time, dialogue, and presence in the neighborhoods.
In two days of continuous work, the team served animals from 9 different neighborhoods —from the urban center of Palomino to Marquetalia, Invasión, Mingueo and others— and managed to sterilize 158 animals.
An operating room built with whatever we had
No clinic, no hospital infrastructure. The team adapted community spaces to set up surgical tables, IV lines, and instruments. Each procedure was performed to the same standards as in a veterinary clinic, just under field conditions.
The team: 2 veterinarians and 3 assistants who crossed the collapsed Mendihuaca bridge so the initiative wouldn't be canceled.
The results
158 animals. Nine neighborhoods. Two days.
Each number represents a direct intervention in the area: fewer unplanned pregnancies, less pressure on wildlife, and less preventable animal suffering.
56,3%
43,7%
Canines vs. felines
Age distribution
The most important finding: having a family doesn't mean being cared for
79.7% of sterilized animals belong to a family. However, 48.7% roam freely throughout the territory for most of the day. It is on the streets where fights, unplanned pregnancies, and contact with wildlife occur. Sterilizing an animal with a guardian has the same territorial impact as sterilizing a stray.
